Prompted by my abject misery at being ill- I managed to contract bronchitis right after I recovered from the stomach flu(?) I had. (Wasn’t Covid, was super pukey. I fell asleep flopped on the bathtub ledge during the worst of it.) I have had it repeatedly in the past, (as well as pneumonia) so am super familiar with the fatigue and inability to catch my breath. Old game, same antibiotics. I’ve been avoiding the codeine for the time being, but if the hacking fits get worse than I’ll indulge like a real old timey consumption riddled waif. Hopefully this time I caught it close enough it passes soon- I haven’t been coughing up nearly as much blood as in the past.
Since I’ve been about as useful as a wet paper bag lately, I’ve been trying to be nice to myself. That’s involved breaking out my other blanket to snuggle beneath its weight. I’ve been staying hydrated and taking a small pleasure in sipping from a hot pink straw and a My Melody tumbler, or else a soft silicon pink straw attachment on a metal one in my similarly pale pink thermos. It’s my favourite colour, and surrounding myself with it (fresh bedsheets, pillow case, blankets, the blanket for my stuffed animals to snuggle in) makes me happy. I’ve pulled out an old notebook and some stickers and decided I’ll decorate them tomorrow as a treat for myself to look forward to. I’ve been making a lot of smoothies lately, because the cold feels good on my throat, and I love strawberries! We have a bunch in the freezer.
Perhaps more relevant to the forums- I’ve been giving myself the permission to be unproductive. If I don’t feel up to writing, I won’t- I’ve closed the laptop and laid back down and not felt guilty over it. If I’m too sick to hammer out prose, then I’ll give myself the grace to flop in bed and do nothing but rest drowsily. Sleep’s healing! I have gotten up to some antics- (I played around in Bitsy, dropped a tiny thing I made in it for the first time) but it’s wildly low compared to my usual summer output and… that’s okay! I have been very literally coughing blood lately, I should take it easy. (It sounds scarier than it is- I have a bleeding disorder, and my throat is easily irritated. It’s not really coming down from deeper in, like when I had pneumonia. Just bed rest for me! And antibiotics on a strict timely schedule.)
Anywho- I find a lot of the time creatives are kind of bad at taking care of themselves. I’d like to invite you to take a moment and consider what it is that you’re doing for yourself- and if you don’t have a ready answer, maybe consider implementing something small that gives you joy? A little pink never hurt. 
